Many argue that the hardest thing to do in football is to put the ball in the back of the net. It explains why the best-paid players tend to be attack-minded; goals win games – as the old cliche goes – after all.
When thinking about the best finishers in football, players who would always keep their nerve when bearing down on goal, the likes of Gerd Muller, Pele, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo spring to mind. The latter played for Manchester United alongside Wayne Rooney.
The Englishman, an elite goalscorer in his own right, snubbed Ronaldo when naming the best finisher he ever played with. Instead, he chose Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Wayne Rooney Praised Ruud van Nistelrooy
He was one of my biggest heroes
In an interview in 2024, he was asked to name the best finisher he ever played with. He spoke with certainty, humbling overliiking himself to say:
“The best one… no, no [not me], the best one I seen and played with Ruud van Nistelrooy.”
With 150 goals in 219 games for the Red Devils, it’s not hard to see why Rooney rates Van Nistelrooy so highly. His record across his career was astonishing as he averaged more than one goal every two games at numerous big clubs like Real Madrid (64 in 96) and PSV (77 in 90).
His goals helped fire the club to a fe notable honours, such as the Premier League (2002–03), FA Cup (2004), and League Cup (2006). For many, including Rooney, the Dutchman is the best finisher in the club’s history. It’s not the first time the Englishman has praised his former teammate either, once saying:
“Ruud van Nistelrooy was great. I loved him. He was one of my biggest heroes when I was young. It was like a dream come true when I was on the same pitch as him. It was an honour to watch him from close and to learn from him. He was such a brilliant finisher.”
He added: “I never really got close with Ruud off the pitch, but that was mainly because of the age gap. I was just a kid and Ruud was in his late twenties. And he was so experienced.”
Related
10 Greatest Finishers in Man United History [Ranked]
Manchester United has been home to a plethora of elite finishers from different eras of the sport
Roy Keane Also Named Van Nistelrooy The Best Finisher
“There might as well have been no goalkeeper”
Rooney wasn’t the only only to hold the striker in high regard either. Club legend Roy Keane has similar things to say about Van Nistelrooy in his 2014 autobiography ‘The Second Half’. He said:
“There was a Champions League game last season, United played Bayern Munich, and Danny Welbeck went through, one on one with the keeper.
“He missed it. Ruud van Nistelrooy wouldn’t have. Ruud was the best finisher, ever, but especially in one-on-one situations, just the keeper to beat.
“When Ruud was going through, one on one, I never doubted him. Some players would be going, ‘F—–’ hell – hard and low? Or dink it over?,’ but when Ruud was through there might as well have been no goalkeeper.”
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